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Shopify vs Custom E-commerce
Shopify's transaction fees and app costs compound with volume. A custom store removes the per-order tax and unifies inventory across every channel you actually sell on, not just the storefront.
Shopify is a well-built, fast way to launch a store, and for a business just starting to sell online it's frequently the right first move. The economics change once volume is real: transaction fees on every order, app subscriptions stacking for features that should be standard, and — the part that actually costs D2C sellers the most — inventory that lives in Shopify while your marketplace and Instagram orders reconcile in a spreadsheet three people edit.
Side by side
| Dimension | Shopify | Custom build |
|---|---|---|
| Launch speed | Fast — live in days on a theme | 3–6 weeks, built to your catalogue |
| Transaction fees | Per-order fee unless using Shopify Payments exclusively | None — you own the checkout |
| App costs at scale | Multiple subscriptions for inventory, reviews, upsells | Built in, no recurring app fees |
| Multi-channel inventory | Requires app-based syncing, often imperfect | One inventory count across web, marketplace and social, by design |
| Storefront ownership | Rented — theme and platform lock-in | Owned outright, code in your Git organisation |
| Best for | Fast launch, low-to-medium order volume | Established D2C sellers on multiple channels |
When Shopify is the right answer
If you're launching for the first time, order volume is modest, and you want to validate demand before investing in a custom build — Shopify is the right call, and we'd tell you so on the first call rather than propose a custom store you don't need yet.
When custom is the right answer
Once you're selling across your own site, a marketplace and Instagram DMs, and three people are reconciling stock on a shared sheet, the per-order fee and app-subscription stack usually cost more than a one-off build — and the multi-channel inventory sync is the specific problem Shopify's app ecosystem handles imperfectly at best.
vs Shopify FAQ
Before you switch
Can you migrate our product catalogue from Shopify?
Yes — Shopify exports products, variants and order history in standard formats, and catalogue migration is part of the build, including redirects so existing product-page rankings aren't lost.
Do we lose Shopify's app ecosystem — reviews, upsells, abandoned cart?
Those specific features get built directly instead of purchased as separate app subscriptions — abandoned-cart and re-order nudges, in particular, are standard in a custom D2C build.
Is this only worth it above a certain order volume?
As a rough honest guide: if per-order fees and app subscriptions are running into real monthly money, or multi-channel stock reconciliation is a manual daily task, the maths is worth doing on a first call.
Next step
Tell us what's slowing
the business down.
One call, a written scope, a fixed price. If a tool you can simply buy would do the job better, we'll say so.
- Free first consultation
- Fixed price, written scope
- Reply within one working day
- No obligation to proceed